Over 50 Detained in Police Operation Against Vote-Buying in Varna and Haskovo Districts

More than 50 people were detained in a specialised police operation targeting vote-buying in the Varna and Haskovo regions on March 18.

In Varna region, the operation began early in the morning, with dozens of addresses searched and evidence seized in connection with breaches of election law. It also targeted organised and petty crime.

Chief Inspector Plamen Godemanov, head of the Fourth Police Station in Varna, said:
“Police forces from the Varna Regional Directorate, as well as officers from the gendarmerie, are involved in the operation. The aim is to ensure public safety through increased police presence on the ground and to respond to any reports of violations of the law.”

A total of 40 people have been detained in the region of Varna, including 10 on suspicion of vote-buying. Authorities have launched 15 pre-trial proceedings and 10 fast-track cases.

More than 1,200 individuals have been checked, with seven people found to be wanted by the authorities.

A parallel operation was also carried out in Haskovo, where police detained 13 people, three of them on suspicion of vote-trading.

Senior Commissioner Miroslav Hristov, head of the Haskovo Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry, said:
“Lists of names and sums of money were found in properties linked to the suspects. Procedural and investigative actions, as well as operational work, are ongoing to gather evidence.”

The operation involves all police services, alongside the gendarmerie. Six individuals wanted nationwide have also been located. Police operations against controlled voting are set to continue until election day.